Age of Three Sons – Interesting Induction Puzzle

Today I’m giving you a very interesting induction puzzle. I’m sure you’ll enjoy solving it. Put your answers in the comment below. I don’t have an option to hide the answers given, hence I would request you to avoid checking the answers given by others before trying it yourself. If you like puzzles you would surely like these mathematical puzzles also.

Induction Puzzle Definition

It might help you to know what’s induction puzzle. I’m giving you the Wikipedia definition here for you –

Induction Puzzles are logic puzzles which are solved via the application of the principle of induction. In most cases, the puzzle’s scenario will involve several participants with reasoning capability and the solution to the puzzle will be based on identifying what would happen in an obvious case, and then repeating the reasoning that: “as soon as one of the participants realises that the obvious case has not happened, they can eliminate it from their reasoning, so creating a new obvious case”.

Solve this Puzzle – If you can!

A man bumps into his mathematician friend on the street that he hasn’t seen in 5 years. The man asks the mathematician how old his children are. The mathematician, who always replies in riddles said, “I now have three children. The sum of their ages is equal to the number of windows on the building in front of you and the product of their ages equals 36.” The friend then says “I need one more piece of information.” The mathematician then replies “My youngest child has blue eyes.” What are the ages of the mathematicians three children?

8 thoughts to “Age of Three Sons – Interesting Induction Puzzle”

6,6,1
as he knows mathematician has children not a single child and mathematician specific said that his youngest “child” have blue eyes. that remove possibility of 9,2,2 because his statement gives information that there is no younger twins.

Hi all
My Solution: 1,6,6
The other solutions like 2,3,6 (11 Windows) or 3,3,4 (10 Windows) are definite, so he wouldn’t ask for an extra Piece of Information. Only with 13 Windows There are 2 solutions:
1,6,6
2,2,9
So he Must Ask for More Info and in saying there is only 1 youngest defines the Solution.
Happy easter, best wishes
Raphael